swapportunity: the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a yoplait light. can you use it in a sentence? mmm. swapping a 300 calorie donut for this 110 calorie strawberry shortcake is a good swapportunity. that's not a real word. oh haha it's real. [ female announcer ] delicious, creamy, yoplait light. over 30 flavors each around 100 calories. do the swap today. . remember all that money you spent on your wedding day? well, was it worth it? also bus after bus bursting into flames. why and who is at risk. and is a stay at home mom a full-time job? the bus drivers union in montgomery county is threatening to sue the county to get what it's calling dangerous and unsafe ride on buses off of the road. >> and if you think this is just

inflammatory rhetoric, wait until you see the pictures in gary nurenberg's report. >> reporter: the short less than 30 -foot long buses with fronts that look like a truck have caught fire at least six times. we have pictures from 2010 and 2011. >> these buses are a danger to the public and also to our members. >> the fires have not started in one place. >> electrical, overhead panels. it's just -- if it was just pinpointed one spot, we could get a handle on it and fix the problem. but it's not. these are fires that started in numerous spots and there is just no way to predict where the next fire is going to start at on the vehicle. >> we like to see the county take these buses off the road immediately. >> reporter: the fires have moved quickly according to the drivers. >> he told me he had stepped off the vehicle, called his supervisor, told him that the bus is on fire, to dispatch 911, and he said that there was so much smoke and flame that he

couldn't even get back in the bus to grab a fire extinguisher to fight the fire. >> reporter: in silver spring we found one broken down giving mechanics fits. we also saw passengers that ride them with some frequency. >> twice a week and it makes me get scared because it's not good and they should be taken away. >> it bothers me because i'm scared that if i ride the bus it can catch the fire. >> reporter: drivers fear getting wheelchair bound passengers off in time in case of a fire. >> people panic and the bus -- most of the buses now only have one door. not like the buses where everybody comes to the engine, towards the engine, and that's where the fires are, in the engine compartment? getting them off is dangerous. >> very dangerous. >> reporter: half a dozen burned out shells in a lot. >> out of a fleet of 48, 50 buses, i would say we can lose over 10% to total fire is pretty

bad. >> reporter: the national traffic -- national highway traffic safety administration has begun an investigation of the bus fires repeated by 9news now to ascertain montgomery county's position have so far been unproductive. anita. >> gary, thank you. new tonight, sky9 was over the scene of a warehouse fire in montgomery county. this fire started in the 7700-block of air park road in gaithersburg just after 8. you can see smoke literally pouring out of the building. montgomery county fire officials say that building is used by a recycling company. no word yet if anybody was hurt or what caused the flames in the first place. also new tonight, north korea has failed to launch a long range rocket. that's the word from u.s. officials in washington and norad. both japan and south korea condemned the new leadership for ignoring international warning to cancel the launch. he fired a bullet that ended a life and changed his life forever. but he was in court today a mere

three minutes. george zimmerman standing before a judge for the very first time since being charged with second degree murder in the death of trayvon martin. he entered a plea of not guilty. >> mr. zimmerman. >> yes, sir. >> you're appearing for the first appearance for this time for a charge of murder in the second degree and you are represented by mr. omara, is that true? >> yes, sir. >> prosecutors have submitted court documents that claim zimmerman confronted the unarmed 17-year-old, but zimmerman claims martin attacked him so he fired in self-defense. well, today zimmerman's attorney did not seek to get his client freed on bond. he says he wants things to cool down first. for now, zimmerman will remain at the county jail in florida away from the other inmates. he is due back in court late next month. another round in the mommy wars tonight after a top obama advisor went on the attack. the attack may have been aimed

at the romney campaign but now democrats and republicans are reacting. ken molestina tells why the choiz of words drew such heated reaction. >> what you have is mitt romney running around the country saying my wife tells me what women really care about are economic issues. and when i listen to my wife, that's what i'm hearing. guess what, his wife is actually never worked a day in her life. she's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing. >> reporter: those comments made by hillary this week on cnn have set off a major backlash from democrats and republicans alike. one of the first to come out in defense of ann romney and object to the comments. >> my career choice was to be a mother. and i think all of us need to know that we need to respect choices that women make. >> reporter: and romney who raised her five sons was on fox news responding to the criticism. >> every mother is a working

woman. >> reporter: the national organization for women says the comments were heart felt, just poorly worded. >> if hillary had said she has not work for pay outside the home a day in her life, then her point would be does she have the life experience to understand us. >> reporter: she appeared on cnn again thursday night with anderson cooper doing damage control. she wasn't backing down. >> being a stay at home mom is a lot of work. it's work inside the home, not outside the home. she is lucky, though, that she had choice. and she referred to that herself. i admired the way that she talks about her own life. many women do not have the choice or the luxury of being a stay at home mom. >> reporter: romney's campaign says rosen has visited the white house 35 times and now they're questioning her relationship with the administration and the democratic strategists. live at the satellite center,

ken molestina, 9news now. infidelity, money and shame. tonight the man who once fought to become the president of the united states is now fighting just to stay out of prison. we're talking about john edwards. and today jury selection began in north carolina for the trial of the former senator. federal prosecutors say edwards funneled nearly a million dollars to keep his mistress quiet during his 2008 bid for the white house. at the time his wife elizabeth was dying of cancer. the former democratic presidential candidate has denied knowing about the cash. for the fifth straight year, the capitals are vying for the stanley cup. >> first they need to get past the defending champs, and kristen berset is here on tonight's game. very exciting. >> it was exciting and it was a physical hard fought game. but in the end, the capitals just couldn't get it done. game one was fought in overtime. despite the tough loss, capital fans seem pretty optimistic going forward. here is what some of you had to say.

earth to dave tweeted no worries, boys. we'll get them next time. hope 170 the goalie, you're a beast. keep it up. caps, caps caps caps. live, love, lauren tweets i guess we'll get them next time. and dove the all star won. it was only a matter of time. we'll get them in game two. that game two is saturday afternoon and the caps come home for game three and four. how ov fared in his first ever playoff appearance. plus the home opener later in sports. >> c a p s, go caps. well, this could be a good night sleep for the 25 students at the university of maryland because they now face the possibility of a tuition hike next year. 10-13%. that's an extra 900 bucks for most of them. and most it seems are blaming the maryland state legislature. the legislature let the clock run out on the legislative

session monday night without passing a tax package that could fund proposed spending. instead it reverted to a budget with steep cuts for a lot of government programs, including education. and the governor is not a happy camper. >> for crying out loud, there is more important things at stake here than whether or not we have a site for gambling in the state of maryland. five, six. none of that matters as much to me as making sure the children are given the best education they can. >> the governor says he wants a special session and he's willing to call for one but not until he knows the house has spoken to the members and come up with a consensus on what they can accomplish. trying to report a broken meter or pothole in the district has gotten a whole lot easier. you can use the dc 311 app to report your complaints. you can also see where other issues have already been flagged in different parts of the city.

the app uses gps technology so the city can locate the site when you attach a photo and go fix the problem. the best part, the dc311 app is free of charge. a happy update to report on our colleague jc hayward. tonight she's resting at home recovering from breast cancer surgery wednesday. >> oh, you are. >> look at you. >> thank you. >> today doctors removed the breast tumor itself, a node and tissue around the site of a benign tumor which doctors had taken out on monday. the breast surgeon told jc the node is clear. that means no cancer spread to the surrounding lymph node and they found no surprises around the spot where the benign mass had been. jc, we wish you a safe and speedy recovery and can't wait to see you back here at 9news. topper. >> we're looking at a very chilly night. a cold night by some respect.

your wake up weather you better allow some extra time to get the frost off your windshields. temps start to jump by 9:00 a.m. you need a jacket in the morning, so will the kids at the bus stop, and your shades. we'll look at how warm it's going to get and a look ahead at the weekend. still ahead tonight, roll out the red carpet. we're rubbing elbows at the stars at the big reopening of the howard theater. plus the wedding dress, the ring, the reception. remember all that cash you dropped on your wedding? well, was it worth it? that's coming up.

it is a hold over from the past. beloved by an entire community. but soon it will go the way of typewriters and 8 track tapes. we are talking about a full service gas station that's in alexandria, it's called the holland hall automotive. come monday morning, no more full service. you'll have to pump your own gas, wash your windshield and check your oil. customers understand but they hate to see it go. >> i think this is the last one that i know of that was full

service. but everything has to come to an end. >> they said if a customer cannot physically manage the gas pump, they will gladly offer a helping hand. washington dc has made the top 10 list for cities where couples choose to spend the most money in tieing the knot. last year newlyweds spent an average of 32,400 bucks to exchange vows in the district. new york comes in number one with average spending at about $65,800. wow. but we wanted to know for all of you who are married now, was the money you spent on your big day worth it? lots of post on our facebook page, including one from ken hill. he says 20 years ago 150 people, 1400 total, no thrills, just good folks. all our friends have big weddings and bigger divorces. maybe a link. ha ha. >> feel free to join that

conversation and share your story on our facebook page. what's old is new again in northwest washington. >> that's right, folks. the curtain finally rose tonight at the howard theater for the first time since the 1970s. matt jablow was there along with stars from the music world and he has all of the details. >> reporter: for 60 years, 1910-1970, it was a vital part of washington's cultural scene, hosting some of the country's most famous and influential musicians. >> ellington to ella. and now i get to sing tonight. >> reporter: now after being closed for more than 40 years, the howard theater is back. ♪ music playi >> reporter: according to early reviews, better than ever. >> it is so pretty. it is wonderful. it's nothing like it was. it's so much better. >> reporter: tonight's grand reopening of the howard complete with red or purple carpet to match the color theme comes after a two year, $29 million renovation.

>> we had a great time in the theater and i'm very happy that they're refurbishing it and it's going to bring quality entertainment back to washington dc. >> who wrote that? >> reporter: tonight's big event hosted in part by bill cost bee was a wonderful -- bill cosby was a wonderful mix of the old and new. >> it's like coming home. it's wonderful. >> reporter: and perhaps more importantly, a wonderful opportunity to reflect on all that the howard theater was. >> it was a beautiful theater then. and i enjoyed my stay here. the audiences were incredible to me. ♪ music playing >> reporter: and all that it now promises to be. >> i'm excited. >> reporter: in northwest washington, matt jw , 9news now. >> i'm excited too. a lot of familiar faces out there. and tonight's grand reopening concert also served as a fund raiser for the howard theater

culture and education center. >> nice night for it. >> yes. well, a little brisk but nice. >> had to have a coat over the dresses. >> not raining or anything. >> maybe a nice hat. >> perhaps. >> i tell you what, tomorrow is going to be about average which is nice this time of the year. and don't look now, a little touch of may on saturday, a little touch of june on sunday. get rid. let's have -- get ready. let's have a live look outside. 54 downtown. winds are calming down now west northwest at 8. dew points are still in the 20s. air is a little dry. it's going to fall. overnight we're looking at clear skies. winds have diminished already. i would say bring the plants in. there is a frost advisory for montgomery county north and west and also for loudoun county and fauquier county. i would say 1-2 blanket night. lows 32-42. notice i said bring the plants inside. you should not have put anything in the ground.

if you have, water them and cover them and remember to uncover them tomorrow morning. you need a jacket. so will the kids. you may have to scrape your windshield north and west of town. you might want to allow five minutes for that. and chilly friday night and warming up over the weekend. let's talk about friday morning. sunny. a chilly start. grab a jacket. temps in the 30s and 40s. winds light all day tomorrow. northerly at 10 in the morning and then by afternoon just a fabulous day. sunny and spectacular. winds stay light. highs around 65 and winds turn a little bit westerly at 10. but nothing strong. we even had a 30-mile an hour wind gust today. we've had pretty strong winds all week. 64 tomorrow in gaithersburg. 65 in rockville. you might make 66 in arlington, fort belvoir and springfield. 64 in bowie. and even out to the west, our friends in fairfax county, loudoun county, you'll make mid 60s. 65 in sterling, 65 in leesburg

and 65 in manassas. zone forecast, well, 52 tomorrow with sunshine. upper 50s for cumberland. i think hagerstown, martinsburg, winchester will make it to 60 or a little above. warrenton, manassas, leesburg, fairfax, 65. 65 downtown. mid 60s into southern maryland. not much wind. no small craft advisory for the bay or tidal potomac, and that's the first time this week that has happened. we'll break it down for you. 32-42 to start. clear skies. you need a jacket early. then by noon 58-63. fantastic. by evening, 51-56 with light winds. that's the key. next three days, we go to 72 on saturday. i'm talking a drop in there just a slight chance of a shower. few and far between. don't change your plans or tee times. and then on sunday, we're looking at sunshine. there is your touch of june.

81 degrees. we stay in the 80s on thursday. sunshine on monday. we're looking at low 80s. and then a frontal system approaches as we get into tuesday. showers or thunderstorm possible late tuesday. showers may linger into wednesday. high temperatures around 70. so temps fall back a little bit. and then next thursday we're partly cloudy with temps back into the 80s. >> and we're zeroing in on the weekend. >> i did do a map on the drought. we don't have a drought here but there is a drought on the eastern shore. check it out. >> all right. thanks. well, kristen berset will be up next with highlights of opening day of nats park and those darn capitals. stay with us.

now 9 sports with kristen berset, the best sports in town. >> the capitals dominated boston in the regular season winning three out of four matchups. but as they've said many times before, the playoffs are a totally different beast. game one in bean town braydon hopy and his first ever playoff game. the goalie pretty impressive tonight. we'll get back to him in a

minute. this is a physical game. fights everywhere all night long. both goalies playing super impressive. this game remains scoreless through 60 minutes of regulation. they couldn't get anything done. but there is no shoot out in the playoff, so a 20-minute overtime period. but all the bruins needed was just a minute and a half. kris kelly eventually gets one past hopy, right past him to win game one. >> we got a lot to look at with tape and stuff. but we're not happy with it, but it was a good hockey game, so we look forward to the next one. >> now, despite the caps loss, though, goalie braydon hopy darn impressive in his first ever playoff game. 29 saves. tonight he faced 30 shots. of course that's one unfortunately loss in the game. ken thomas for the bruins only faced 17 shots. no wonder the bruins were able to take this one from the caps.

all right. game two is saturday in bean town. the caps come home then for games three and four. and game five, if necessary, is april 21st. time now to reveal the winner of our high school game of the week poll. 40,000 of you -- 49,000 of you voted. mcgruger at blake is the overall winner. we'll have highlights for you tomorrow night. all right. the nationals have gotten off to one of the best starts in franchise history. even before playing a game at home. and you could see and feel that buzz among fans today at national's park. gonzalez making his dc debut for the nats. and what a debut it was. 7 strikeouts, two hits over 7 scoreless innings. he also got his first major league hit. you see the crowd giving him a standing ovation. and things got moving in the bottom of the 5th. nats had bases loaded. la ruch had a base hit bringing

in espinoza. bringing in another run. they got two. they couldn't hold on to the lead. they head to extra innings but this wild pitch to roger berndino and that's how they win the game. first guy out of the dugout to congratulate them. they win their home opener. >> craig came in and did phenomenal. we would have like to have gotten some more runs, but we'll take the wins. >> there was so much credit to give to the game. just victory to all players today. this is one of the things that we can take home and not continue and stay hot. >> and nats closer drew soren was at the park today after having surgery in his elbow to remove bone fragments. he's expected to return by the all star break. >> when i woke up and they said it was quick and easy and what we expected, i thought that was a big relief. now i have a good plan of attack. i know what the problem was and

now it's just about getting back. >> a speedy recovery. but the news isn't good for michael moore. still suffering from a strained muscle. he could be out the next six weeks. so a step back for him. kind of hurts the nats a little bit. but they're looking pretty hot. >> yes. >> a lot of fun today. >> yes. >> home opener. >> gorgeous day out. >> had to have a jacket, though. >> yes, of course. >> we'll be right back. need any help?

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a clarification in our

story about hillary rosen's comments regarding ann romney. 9news described her as an obama advisor. she is a democratic advisor and does not work for the obama campaign. a blind 5-year-old girl has been re united with her therapy dog tonight. >> you can see her light up when she's near her dog. the pit bull joined the family last month but was stolen from the family's front yard a few weeks back. her mom says on monday morning the dog just showed up on the front porch. good news. she has a few scrapes on her neck and belly but she is fine. whoever took the dog tried to use her for fighting. >> oh, no. look at the happiness. and on that note.